BSLunarCharmsLinguistics
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Broad Mind Mantra
Cost: 3 motes per dot, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple (Transformation) Minimum Linguistics: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Lunar drills himself with muttered mantras, literally expanding his mind - building a more streamlined, responsive, and efficient brain structure that allows his thoughts to flow like lightning. This Charm allows the Lunar to boost his Intelligence at the cost of 3 motes per dot, to a maximum of his Essence or Linguistics, whichever is less. The increased Attribute counts as natural for the dice-adder limits of Lunar charms.
This is a Transformation Charm of the Mysteries Totem.
Comprehension of Cries and Calls
Cost: 4 motes Duration: One scene Type: Simple Minimum Linguistics: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Lunar attunes his perceptions and draws on his linguistic knowledge, reading in tone and emphasis what he cannot understand through his education. This Charm allows a Lunar to discern the gist of statements made in a language he does not know. Upon activation, the Lunar rolls Intelligence + Linguistics once for every foreign language being spoken in earshot. His successes translate into how much information he garners over the course of the scene - one success is general understanding ('they were talking about the dam, angrily'), three offers motives and greater emotional input ('They're angry that they have to assault the dam'), while five is near-perfect interpretation of nuance ('One of them plans to defect rather than assault the dam, the other one has figured this out').
This Charm does not allow the Lunar to communicate back, but it does apply to nonverbal communication, as it relies on those subtleties of posture to function.
Forked Tongue Method
Cost: 2 motes per subject Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Linguistics: 2 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Comprehension of Cries and Calls
This Charm allows a Lunar to communicate one concept to a select group while apparently speaking on another matter. Upon activation, the Lunar may select up to his Essence in subjects within earshot - they hear what the Lunar wants to say, while all others hear whatever he's selected to say. The two statements need not be linked but must be of similar length - the Lunar cannot communicate information more rapidly than as if he had spoken it aloud.
Most Charms relating to perception will likely pick up on the intended message, however - roll the Charm-user's Perception against a difficulty of the Lunar's Essence to see if it is understood. Should the eavesdropper fail, he hears something but cannot draw any meaning from it.
Cackling Hyena Council
Cost: 4 motes per subject Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Minimum Linguistics: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Forked Tongue Method
A pack of hyenas gives off periodic shrill laughs and hoots, even as it closes on its prey. Besides being an effective tool for intimidation, these seemingly random outburts communicate position and other vital information - all the while driving the prey to make mistakes. By binding a group of allies together with this Charm, the Lunar can recreate the effect.
The Lunar activates this Charm and selects up to his Linguistics in subjects. These targets may, while this Charm is active, communicate between eachother - and the Lunar - in an alien fashion. They growl, they yip, or make brief howls - regardless, they may speak to one another without fear of revealing their plans. Additionally, if an enemy who overhears this babble has a Valor lower than the Lunar's Essence, he suffers a two-die penalty to all actions, terrified and goaded. The latter effect has no hold over nonsentient creatures nor the dead, however.
Coyote Voice
Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple (Transformation) Minimum Linguistics: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Comprehension of Cries and Calls
A skilled Lunar shapechanger can play many a role, but none so cunningly as the one of the mimic. With this Charm active, the Lunar can actively speak and comprehend the language of any person he has devoured over the course of his life. As long as it is maintained, the Lunar can flawlessly understand the tongue, as well as being able to replicate reasonable fluence in speech. This Charm does not grant literacy in the language replicated, and it will not allow a Lunar to mimic the speech quirks of the subject, though it does mirror the voice, or some combination of voices, of the speaker(s) devoured.
This is a Transformation Charm of the Deceiver Totem.
Clawspeak Meditation
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Linguistics: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Comprehension of Cries and Calls
This piece of Lunar trickery calls back to the origins of time, where all things shared some basic traits - and the universality of animal language was among them. When using this Charm, a Lunar can distill a written piece of language into its primal origins, discerning meaning while transcending language.
The Lunar must roll Intelligence + Linguistics with a difficulty based on the language in use (1 for most Creation languages, 3 for dead or heavily corrupt languages, 5 for impossible linguical structures from the Wyld) - if he succeeds he can read a document (Which must not exceed Lunar's Essence x 100 pages) and garner understanding, albeit imperfect, of the message therein.
This knowledge is generally suitable to figure out any intended theme, as well as general plot, of a piece of fiction, or to give an outline of a written ritual, but will lack the precision of a reading by a fluent subject - accidents may well occur.
King Holds Court
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple (Transformation) Minimum Linguistics: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Comprehension of Cries and Calls
Broadening his perceptions in both the literal and metaphysical fashion, a Lunar with this charm can speak with all the beasts of Creation, finding in each bark and howl a message that he can return if he likes. As long as this Charm is active, the Lunar may speak with and understand any animal native to Creation that is not a Wyld perversion or a craft of sorcery. The animal may not be willing to share information or may not have any, as with any person, but it can at least in this fashion be begged or threatened effectively.
This is a Transformation Charm of the Alpha Totem.
First Voice Style
Cost: 15 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Linguistics: 4 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: King Holds Court, maybe one other.
This Charm invokes the authority of the Celestial Exalted, hard-wired into the structure of much of Creation. Its use empowers a Lunar to speak with the First Voice - the purified speech tones and diction that were used to represent the delegation of Solar Deliberative Authority in the First Age. There are few spirits that can resist requests made in this fashion, as they come backed with legitimacy and the promise of retribution.
The Lunar may activate this Charm to make a single plea of any object - be it a mountain, a daiklaive, a building, even an island - that is represented by a cohesive group of spirits. This request requires a simple Charisma (in some cases, Manipulation) + Linguistics check, with a difficulty of the spirit's Essence (Or the highest Essence in a group of spirits). Should it succeed, the spirit is bound to, within reason, acquiesce to the demand.
There are notable limits on the application of First Voice, which similarly restrain its effects. A spirit cannot be coerced to self-destruct, nor directly affect harm on a large number of other beings. Demands that are unreasonable may be 'pushed through' - increase the difficulty of the Linguistics check - but some effects (Such as commanding the Blessed Isle to sink) will never clear. The fewer witnesses to an action, the more likely the spirits involved will go along with it - without a record of the deal, they cannot be brought to task in Yu-Shan.
Example: Five-Fangs is travelling through the Hundred Kingdoms at the bequest of Ma-Ha-Suchi, fulfilling a debt owed to the Silver Pact. While taking a boat downriver, he is identified as Anathema by a concerned Kingdom, which trains its First Age cannon on his small vessel. Rather than take his chances with the river, Fangs sprints to the side of the boat and shouts orders to the weapon to not fire. He rolls Charisma + Linguistics, scoring 6 successes - just enough, the ST decides, to convince the Essence 5 spirit inside the cannon. The weapon 'jams', and Five Fangs is free to go along his merry way.
If he had ordered the cannon to explode violently, it would not have worked, as he lacks the authority to force death on a spirit (A Solar may well have it!). Similarly, he could not have asked it to train itself on the city, as this would draw a great deal of attention and might mean that insidious Forms would be Filed in Yu-Shan.
Comments
Meh, I'm drawing a blank for ideas here. I feel as if they need some sort of koan or far-reaching language Charms, but the first seems a bit too mystical for the Lunars and the latter is sort of covered by Charms in their Presence trees. Maybe...recalling spoken words? Speaking with nature? Thoughts? ~ BerserkSeraph
Lingustics is about communication right? Well, spoken language is a very primitive form of communication, so why not just make a charm tree about a better form of communication, perhaps expressive dance or sign language, or maybe even telepathy? - Paladinltd
- My ST came up with a couple cool Lunar communication charms that have to do with things like communicating to a specific person through suggestive movements and such. They're pretty cool. --EndlessChase
- I don't have my books on me at the moment, but I seem to recall a Solar Charm that conveyed meaning through body language- with the caveat that it was only sufficient to imply simple statements. I believe it said something to the effect that it was insufficient for wooing a potential mate, unless, 'Shall we copulate?' was sufficient wooing. Have the Lunar Charm do something similar, only with the ability to load meaning and implication such that in many cases, that is sufficient.
- You could also have Lunar Charms allowing them to communicate with animals, and ways to get the attention of spirits governing trees, rocks, etc. I also want to comment on your existing Charm; a kata is a series of movements, such as performed in martial arts for practice or meditation. A word you might prefer is 'mantra', such as the ones used in Hindu lore to alter or expand ones' perceptions. Although it has been abused in English into meaning any oft-repeated phrase, its original intent was one of mystical import. &Arafelis also wonders why Int-boosting is part of Linguistics rather than Lore.
- The Int-increasing charm IS a Mantra. I did make a mistake in including the 'repeated katas' bit from the Charm text I copied, good catch. (And I know the terms, thanks.) As for why it's here - it's part of Linguistics 'cos that's classier than Lore. Design decision, to emphasize the value of language-as-additive-to-knowledge and for interCaste balance (As is the No Moons benefit from having the two quirky abilities, so I checked their ability by giving them slightly less stat-boosting acumen compared to their peers.). ~ BerserkSeraph
- Wait, don't tell me Lunars have no canonical communicate-with-animals charms? If not, that would be a brilliant Linguistics path. I'm suprised that's not already been done... -- Xarak
- They have one, it's somewhere in the Survival tree. ~ BerserkSeraph
- Oh good. Could still make a good set of Linguistics charms, though. -- Xarak
- Correction - Perception tree. But yeah, that'll make it in. ~ BerserkSeraph
Also note that Linguistics is the ability covering linguistic expression. A riddle-based Charm wouldn't be inappropriate. -szilard
- I like it. Something like, you can pose a riddle that, if answered, conveys a great deal of meaning. A scrap of paper or scratched bone could hold a whole spell formula or detailed map, if the reader knows the answer ( or passes a roll. ) Or perhaps, you can speak a riddle that, if solved, the answer becomes true - but only for the people who have answered it ( although that's more of a Raksha sorcery ). -- Xarak
